This 4th of July weekend will bring plenty of opportunities to celebrate. Whether you host a cookout, plan a trip to the beach or watch the fireworks from your favorite spot, it’s important to be mindful of the scene. Before the big weekend arrives, we wanted to offer a few tips to help you enjoy the festivities safely and responsibly:

Heading to an adult party with kids? Check out the resources we offer to get the lines of communication open. Make a plan to consume responsibly and get home safely, and have that conversation within earshot of the kids.

On Sunday, July 9, AARP Foundation will host their inaugural Summer of Service to Seniors℠ Meal Pack Challenge at the University of Denver Magness Arena in Denver. This event will rally thousands of volunteers to pack half a million meals for distribution to struggling seniors in the Denver area. We need your support.

In Denver and the surrounding region, too many hardworking older adults are in need. Through no fault of their own they struggle daily to secure a steady income, safe and affordable housing, nutritious food, and sustained social bonds.

The Meal Pack Challenge is an excellent team-building opportunity, as well as a chance to come together to give back to the community and help struggling older neighbors. We are asking volunteers to give us about two hours, during which time each volunteer can help pack 166 meals!

For more information on joining the Summer of Service to Seniors Denver Meal Pack Challenge, please visit www.mealpackchallenge.org to register and learn more. I have also attached informational posters & group registration form sheet for distribution to your constituents.

TOPS is a Partnership with Denver Police to Increase Reports of Crimes in Progress and Provide Eyewitness Accounts

Today, with the goal of enhancing the safety of people who live, work and play in Denver, Metro Taxi, Freedom Cab, Union Taxi Cooperative and Yellow Cab re-launched the Taxis on Patrol (TOPS) program.

TOPS, started in Denver by Metro Taxi in 2011, encourages taxi drivers to be on the lookout for suspicious or illegal activity while providing transportation services throughout Denver and the Metro area, and to quickly report those issues to police.

The TOPS program experienced near-immediate success when just 24 hours after implementation a Metro Taxi driver witnessed a hit-and-run collision that killed a valet attendant outside of a Denver nightclub. The taxi driver followed the suspect vehicle, noted its license plate number and called police, which resulted in the suspect driver’s arrest. The death of valet attendant Jose Medina, and the taxi driver’s commendable actions, later resulted in Colorado creating the Medina Alert system to help catch hit-and-run drivers.

“Police simply can’t be everywhere at all times, so the goal of TOPS is for the hundreds of drivers who are on duty 24/7 to be extra eyes and ears on the streets,” said Robert McBride, Executive Vice President/Managing Director of Metro Taxi. “Our drivers are an integral part of this community and see TOPS as a way to give back and make our city an even safer place.”

The Denver Police Department is creating a training video for participating drivers to help them to be good witnesses, and to do so safely – encouraging drivers not to physically intervene and/or put themselves in a dangerous situation.

“The Denver Police Department and I greatly appreciate these taxi companies and drivers for stepping up to make a difference in public safety,” said Chief of Police Robert C. White. “A timely, detailed report of suspicious activity or a crime in progress can sometimes be the difference in officers arresting a suspect, rather than them getting away, and may even result in officers being able to intervene before a crime is committed.”

This FREE training is open teen’s ages 14 – 18 years of age. You must attend all class sessions (3 Days) to receive a certificate for 24 hours of community service. Learn to protect yourself, your family and your friends in case of an emergency. This training teaches you about potential disasters that could affect the Denver metro area and how to safely and responsibly respond to and recover from them.

​Things You Learn· Extinguish small fires· Conduct light search and rescue· Assist those who are injured· Set up medical treatment areas· Assist emergency responders· Identify and anticipate hazards· Reduce hazards in the home, school and workplace· Help reduce survivor stressAnd participate in a final disaster exercise

This area of land—encompassed by I-25, Speer Boulevard and Auraria Parkway—was identified as such by the 2007 Downtown Area Plan. The plan guides development in the downtown area and was conducted under the joint leadership of the City and County of Denver and the Downtown Denver Partnership, with the input of more than 2,000 community participants over a 15-month period. The "Central Platte Valley-Auraria District" was included but not detailed in the 2007 Downtown Area Plan. Much of the land is surface parking lots serving cultural and entertainment venues, including the Pepsi Center, Elitch Gardens, the Downtown Aquarium and the Children’s Museum.

A key recommendation of the 2007 plan was to attract more housing, mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly development to this area, and city planners want Denver residents and stakeholders, particularly downtown residents, to provide input into the future of this area and create more detailed guidance for future development.

The first public meeting for this plan amendment will take place at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, July 13 in the Tivoli Student Union (Baerresen Ballroom) on the Auraria Campus. We invite you to attend and give your input into the future of this key area of Downtown Denver. Details are available on the attached flier and on the plan webpage. Please help us get the word out by forwarding this email and posting the flier to your social networks.

REMINDER! Denver Parks & Recreation invites the community to attend a public meeting to discuss creation of a new athletic permit policy. This policy would address priority use of athletic fields, historical priority, scheduling, allowable use, rest periods, field preparation, cancellation/refunds, and consequences for policy violations, among other issues. Please plan on attending this meeting to learn more about the policy creation process and to voice your thoughts on these topics.

Schools across the country are ending for summer break. As you may know, summer is often the hungriest time of year for many children from low-income families. These children rely on free and reduced school meals during the school year but when school is out their families struggle to replace those missed meals. Across the United States, local communities, state agencies and non-profit organizations are coming together to set up summer meals sites – stitching together the infrastructure necessary for kids to eat healthy meals while school is out.

Summer meals sites operate in low-income communities across the country, and are often located at schools, faith-based organizations, and community organizations.

Unfortunately, too many children in need are missing out. Your office can play an important role in ensuring families in your district know about the summer meals program and how to access sites in your community.

Below you will find resources for those who need information about summer meals.

Do you have an afterschool program in your neighborhood? Do you know how the families in your neighborhood rely on these programs to keep their children safe, provide enrichment to the children when they are not in school, and help them succeed in school?

The Denver Afterschool Alliance, which is a partnership of the City and the School District along with all the afterschool programs, want to know how afterschool programs are being used and how this valuable community resource can further support Denver families. We want to hear from as many Denver families as possible from all over the city. So we would greatly appreciate it if you would ask your neighborhood families to take our survey. It is a short survey and they will be entered into a drawing for a $100 grocery gift card. You can send these links to as many networks and listservs of Denver families as you have access to.

The Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver (“DHA”) Central Office, located at 777 Grant Street, suffered significant flooding overnight on Monday, June 19, 2017, due to a water main break. As a result, DHA’s Central Office will be closed to the public until further notice as they evaluate the damage caused by the flooding. All major forms of communication have been impacted, including email, telephone, and website. All DHA field offices are open, however phone service and emails are also impacted. They will provide additional information as it becomes available. They apologize for the inconvenience this has caused to our clients, commercial tenants, and the public.

We are looking to collect information on who's biking and where they are going in Lucky District 7! Please help us gather information and provide new bike commuters new routes that are neighbor approved. People can search for routes, get to know others who are traveling the same way and learn more about bike commuting in Denver. This website can also be used for carpooling, transit and walking!Step 1: Register at www.mywaytogo.orgStep 2: Enter your starting point and end point on the dashboard

Please join us on Thursday, July 20, 2017 for the opening celebration of Levitt Pavilion Denver at Ruby Hill Park! Help us spread the word!6:00 p.m. Doors open​6:30 p.m. Program7:00 p.m. Free community concertLearn more on the Levitt Pavilion Denver website.

A comprehensive plan by the City and County of Denver to address the challenges of housing availability and affordability is underway, with public input being sought through a survey as well as a community meeting on Thursday, June 29, at North High School from 6-8 p.m.

“This five-year plan for action for Denver will help us make critical decisions on how to maximize the city’s housing resources,” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “Across departments and agencies, along with our Housing Advisory Committee, we are working very closely on a detailed, intentional plan to tackle our housing issues. Public involvement is an absolutely essential ingredient to this process.”

The public survey will be available online beginning Thursday, June 15, at http://www.denvergov.org/housing along with options to provide thoughts in person at the community meeting.

The plan will bring a focus on aligning strategies along the entire continuum of housing need from homelessness to homeownership. It will include measurable goals for the development and preservation of affordable rental and for-sale housing as well as policy recommendations aimed at promoting economic opportunity and the connection between housing, healthy living, and good-paying jobs.

The community meeting will include light refreshments, Spanish translation and free child care. Additional translation services will be available upon request to 720-913-1999.

The plan is expected to be presented to City Council in September 2017.

The Denver Office of Economic Development (OED) is dedicated to advancing economic prosperity for the City of Denver, its businesses, neighborhoods and residents. Working with a wide variety of community partners, OED operates to create a local environment that stimulates balanced growth through job creation, business assistance, housing options, neighborhood redevelopment and the development of a skilled workforce.

During the evening hours of 06/12/17, DPD had three reports of vehicles being broken into along the Broadway corridor. All three of the vehicles had valuables (Purses / Wallets / Backpacks) sitting out on the seat, or in plain view. Please remember to REMOVE or SECURE your valuables before going out. Below are some easy prevention tips to help prevent these thefts.------------------------------------------------------------* Always lock your car. Thieves simply go from car to car checking for unlocked doors as easy targets.* Remove valuables from your vehicle: wallet/purse, backpacks, cell phones, GPS devices, IPods, other electronics, cash/change from your ash trays. If you cannot remove the items, lock them in your trunk. While at home, also remove your garage door opener.* Never hide extra keys inside your vehicle. Spare keys and valet keys inside your car make it easy for thieves to drive away.* Roll-up your windows. Even the smallest openings are an invitation for theft.* Park in areas that are well lit and highly visible. This includes when you are parked in your driveway or in front of your home.* Do not “warm-up” your car, unless you are in it.* Consider installing an alarm.

The 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week line can be accessed by calling 877-741-3777.

The line connects callers with pharmacists, nurses and toxicology experts at Denver Health’s Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center. These medical experts can answer questions about occupational safety hazards for marijuana industry workers as well as questions about pesticides, toxins, additives, ingredients and contaminants in marijuana and cannabidiol (CBD) products. Callers can also contact the line regarding safe-use concerns, such as those surrounding potentially tampered with packaging or serving sizes.

The Marijuana Health & Safety Line is a three-month pilot project, funded by the City and County of Denver, that may be extended. It gives public health professionals an additional resource to help them stay in line with technology advances in the marijuana industry.

“We are eager to see a resource for reliable information to both consumers and industry employees, and we are excited that this resource may yield data and insights about the health impacts of cannabis consumption and occupational exposure,” said Danica Lee, Director of the Public Health Inspections Division at Denver Environmental Health.​The line is not meant for anyone experiencing life-threatening emergencies and callers requiring immediate medical assistance will be directed to 911 operators immediately. Additionally, the line is not meant for use as a directory of Denver marijuana businesses and will not be useful for anyone seeking information about business locations, hours of operation and product pricing.

We need 10 Denver parents to attend a 60 minute focus group to help us learn more about needs, wants, deal breakers, etc. It doesn't matter if your child (elementary and/or middle school age) attends afterschool programs every day, once in a while, or not at all. The focus group is scheduled for Thursday, June 22nd at the Stapleton MCA located at 7350 E. 29th Ave, Denver, CO 80238. Dinner and a $25 grocery card will be provided to each participant. If you need childcare, we can provide it! Please RSVP by Monday, June 19th to Yilan at 720-227-0078 or YES@apaconsulting.net

SURVEY:The Denver Afterschool Alliance has put together a survey to help improve afterschool programs in Denver. The only survey requirement is that the survey taker has a child in elementary and/or middle school in Denver. Every person who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing to a win a $100 King Soopers gift card.

The DAA needs your help dispersing the survey so if you could send this to your friends, family, and neighbors who elementary/middle school students in Denver, it would be greatly appreciated! Here are the links:

The Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs (DCCA) is now seeking candidates for seven open commission positions to oversee the 1 percent for public art program, serve as trustees of Denver’s cultural plan -- IMAGINE 2020, advise on arts and cultural issues, and act as ambassadors to the community.

The DCCA was established in 1991 to support the mayor’s office and act as an advisory board to Denver Arts & Venues.

The commission is comprised of dynamic and accomplished Denver leaders in the areas of the arts, business and education, all of whom are appointed by the mayor. Commissioners are strong advocates of the arts and culture, and are committed to the mission and goals of cultural programs and Denver Arts & Venues.

The DCCA seeks candidates who represent Denver’s diverse community, and is specifically looking for leaders with experience and background working in:

The arts as an artist, arts administrator or creative entrepreneur

Strategic planning and implementation

Nonprofit management

Real estate environment

Philanthropy

Board development and leadership

Marketing and communication

Diversity, equity and inclusiveness

Commissioners are appointed for one- or three-year terms and can serve up to six consecutive years. The DCCA meets the first Tuesday of each month from 4 to 6 p.m. at various cultural organizations across the city.

On Saturday, June 17, Denver Health be testing how well prepared they are to give out medication in the event of a public health emergency. We need 200 volunteers to walk through our mock mediation dispensing site. Everyone is welcome! They will have interpreters on site and prizes for the first 200 people that participate.

Denver Parks and Recreation will begin improvements to the Washington Park Loop Road. Weather permitting, construction will begin the week of June 19 and is estimated to be completed in approximately 4 weeks. During construction, access to all interior parking lots will be available, and detours will be clearly identified with temporary signage and barriers.

Prior to construction, parallel parking along the Washington Park Loop Road will be removed to improve safety and widen lanes to establish a more uniform and intuitive lane configuration as recommended in the 2015 Washington Park Loop Safety Plan and the 2011 Washington Park Master Plan. Temporary signage will be posted notifying park users of the upcoming lane reconfigurations and the schedule and removal of the remaining parallel parking spaces on the Loop Road.

Modifications will include:

Lane configuration improvements comprised of a two-way pedestrian lane separated by a two-foot painted buffer from two unidirectional lanes that accommodate wheel-based recreation

Signage improvements and the addition of new lane configuration signs, speed limit signs and vehicular regulatory traffic signs. These signs will be installed in strategic areas throughout the park to ensure maximum opportunity for education and awareness of the rules and regulation along Loop Road and throughout Washington Park.

For more information on the Washington Park Loop Safety Plan, visit our website.

RTD has scheduled five (5) public meetings to discuss service changes proposed for August 27, 2017. These meetings are designed to inform the public and to obtain input on the proposed changes.Learn more about the proposed changes here.

Denver Parks & Recreation invites the community to attend a public meeting to discuss creation of a new athletic permit policy. This policy would address priority use of athletic fields, historical priority, scheduling, allowable use, rest periods, field preparation, cancellation/refunds, and consequences for policy violations, among other issues. Please plan on attending this meeting to learn more about the policy creation process and to voice your thoughts on these topics.

In anticipation of an announcement from the White House regarding the Paris climate accord, Mayor Michael B. Hancock today released the following statement committing Denver to the tenets of the agreement.

“Let’s talk facts. The U.S. is the among the top three largest emitters of greenhouse emissions who, combined, are responsible for more than half of global emissions. A decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement would threaten every American community’s health and safety, not to mention impact our global alliances. Disengagement and failure to act not only demonstrates a lack of leadership on climate change, but it forfeits substantial opportunities to boost GDP, create thousands of good paying clean energy jobs and improve health.

“Climate change is a serious threat to our economy and way of life in Colorado, as we see increasing wild fires, flooding, drought and decreasing snow cover. Poor air quality and extreme heat impacts public health, especially our most vulnerable populations.

“Denver has been a leader in combating climate change and in growing the clean energy economy. We will not back down from our commitment to address this global threat and will continue the pledge to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement even in the absence of federal leadership.”​To see Denver’s complete Climate Action Plan, CLICK HERE.